a summary of the Present Tenses in English.

1. The Present

2. III. Verb Tenses
Present Simple:
It expresses habitual or everyday activities or
general statements of facts.
Simple Verb(s)
e.g., a. I/ We/ You/ They/ The girls study
grammar every Saturday.
b. He/ She/ It/ Salwa always runs fast.
c. The sun rises from the east.

3. Common adverbs:
always/ sometimes/ often/ never/
seldom/ rarely/ habitually/ usually/
everyday/ every week/ every month/ every
year

4. Exercise:
Put the verbs in brackets into the present simple tense. Use any
common adverb:
1. John (play) football.
________________________________________________
2. We (travel) to Riyadh.
________________________________________________
3. Water (consist) of hydrogen and oxygen.
________________________________________________
4. I (get) up at seven.
________________________________________________
5. Kathy (sit) in the front row during class.
________________________________________________

5. Present Continuous:
It expresses an activity in progress at the moment of speaking
or these days.
Verb "to be" in the present + simple verb + -ing
e.g., a. I am writing my homework now.
b. She/ He/ It/ Ali is playing right now.
c. We/ You/ They/ The children are playing right now.
d. We are taking an English course this semester.

6. Common adverbs:
now/ right now/ at this moment/ these days/ this year/
this month/ this semester
Note:
"Stative verbs" cannot take "-ing". Examples of stative
verbs are: know, understand, believe, want, love, like,
hate, fear, hear, see, cost, exist, seem, have**, think**.
e.g., I understand you now.

7. Exercise:
Put the verbs in brackets into the present continuous tense:
1. I (write) on the blackboard now.
__________________________________________
2. You (learn) grammar this semester.
_________________________________________
3. At this moment, Tom (read) a book.
_________________________________________
4. We (sit) in the class right now.
__________________________________________
5. Now the boys (fight).
_________________________________________
6. Look! That lady (wear) a beautiful dress.
_________________________________________

8. Present Perfect:
It expresses an action that happened before now but the
time is not specific or an action that began in the past
and continues to the present, or the repetition of an
activity in the past.
have/ has + past participle
a. I/ We/ You/ They/ The boys have already written a
letter.
b. He/ She/ It/ Sara has never seen a snake.
c. We have studied English since nine o'clock.

9. More Examples
c. We have studied English for two hours.
e. I have travelled to Egypt many times.
f. A: Have you ever gone to Paris?
B: No, I have never gone to Paris

10. Common adverbs:
already/ yet/ just/ still/ never/ ever/ so far/ many
times/ so far/ since+ point of time/ for+ duration

11. Exercise:
Put the verbs in brackets into the proper present tense:
1. A:You (look) ____________ very thoughtful. What you (think)
____________ about?
B: Please be quiet. I (try) ___________________ to concentrate.
2. A: My daughter never (write) ____________ to me. Your son (write)
_____________ to you, Mrs. Smith?
B: Yes, I (hear) ___________ from him every week. He (seem) ____________ to
like writing letters.
3. I usually (go) ________________ to work by car, but the car (belong)
________________ to
my mother and she sometimes ( need ) __________________ it.
4. Nora (study) ________________ English for three years.
5. A: You ever (be) _____________ to the States? B: Yes, I (go)
______________ there four times.
6. My next door neighbour always (knock) ________________ on my door and
(ask)
___________________ me to lend her some money.

12. 7. A: What you (do) __________________ at the moment?
B: I (think) ____________________of a suitable wedding present
for my friend.
8. Diane cannot come to the phone because she (wash)
____________________ her hair.
She (wash) ___________________ her hair every other day.
9. I (not, see) _______________________ my friends since last
Monday. One of them just (call) _______________________ me.
10. Look! It (rain) _______________________.
11. Tom (buy) _____________________ three books since the
beginning of the month.
12. Right now I (look) _________________ around the classroom.
Salma (write) __________________ in her book. Afrah
(scratch)_________________ her head. Amal
(stare)___________________ out the window.
13. The weather (be) _____________________ very nice lately.